Visible strip index



June 3, 1930. v DAWSON 1,761,877

VISIBLE STRIP INDEX Filed June 25 1928 s SheetsSheet 1 /6 Index Label Cos-mos Paint Co.

Visihle Strip Index Typing may 'be carried to extreme 3113:.

Znucnivr G607 1: Hilda/son uitfys June 3, 1930.

G. H. DAWSON VIS IBLE STRIP INDEX Filed June 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ditys r 7 Type Here v Type Hare /g AS Q 2/ I Type Here {22 June 3, 1930. G. H. DAWSON 1,751,877

VISIBLE SVTRIP INDEX Filed June 25, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet s "v, k", d

v ZO 2/2 (7 T e Here L Here (-3 Here '1" e Hera Here /8 I Here In us 72107 (Zewrye [ID/111M071 Patented rm, 3, 19st enonenin. DAWSON, or. BOSTON,

ran STATES PATENT OFFIC MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To SERVICE BUREAU, 11m, or CAMBRIDGE, MASsAoHUsETTs,

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS vIsIBLE STRIP INDEX Application filed une 25,

This invention relates to index devices and i particularly to indexes of the so-called visible v be carried type wherein a seriesofcards or strips are assembled in Overlapping relation with their respective margins exposed to display names or other identifying subject matter. The invention has to do particularly with the construction and arrangement of the index strips and its principal object is to provide a simple and unique index of this type comprising a series of interlocked, overlapping strips adapted to display typed, printed or written index ,data' along theentire width of the exposedstrip margins and to constitutean interconnected assemblage which may readily about as an individual composite sheet or which may be filed in a drawer or attached upon a verticalsupport for ready reference. Other more specific objects reside in the details of structure hereinafter de scribed and-pointed out in the appended. claims. I

Recommended embodiments'of the invenw the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

" Fig; lisa front elevation, partially broken away, ofone form of the improved index showlng a ser eslof interconnected ndex 7 strips, eachof single thickness, mounted so within a folder I j Fig. 2 is a face view ofan individual index strip forming part of the index of Fig. 1;

Fig.3..is a viewsimilar'to Fig. 1 with the fOldGl'j0Il1lt-t6d,the top strip being protected by atransparent sheath andthe bottom strips being swung-upwardly to permit inscriptions to be made on the normally concealed portion of' one of the strips;

FigA is a face view of a portion of a continuous blank or sheetfrom which double thickness index strips may-be prepared;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the sheet of Fig. 4;; Fig. 6 is a face viewof a-folded index strip made from said continuous sheet; and

Fig. 7 illustrates an assemblage of several of the, strips of Fig. 6L

The individual index strips forming part of the improvedindex may be made of any suitably flexible sheet-material such as card board or heavy paper and may be of any dea atively to one another with their margins the upper margin of each ends of saidmargins.

1928. Serial No. 2 7,993.

sired length and width, Each strip has one or more tongues or tabs and one or more corresponding slots or apertures whereby, when the strips are detachably interconnected to form the assembled index, the tongue or tongues of one strip are removably received and retained within the complemental slot or slots of the adjacent strip of the series, thereby to interlock and space the strips rel- 6O projecting one beyond anothen.

A pair of tongues having their bases in the same line and substantially parallel to one. longitudinal edge of the stripand having their ends projecting in opposite directions are preferably provided near the respective ends of each strip and these tongues are preferably inserted into corresponding slots in the next adjacent strip by flexing the Strip transversely so that, when the strip is re leased, the projecting ends of the tongues extend beyond the outer ends of the respective slots effectively to interlock the strips against casual displacement. The strips may be tilted or swung upon the hinge-joint'thus formed, yet the units are so interconnected that the assembled composite sheet index is self-sustaining without the necessity of pro- I viding expensive metal frames or other index holders.

. I Each of the strips 10, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 consists of a single thickness of cardboard and has a pair'of tongues 11 projectingfrom its upper edge and a pair of apertures or slots 12 disposed below said tongues and substantially parallel to said upper edge. The tongues have outwardly projecting ends 13 which look behind the stripnext above at the outer ends of the respective slots thereof, when the strips are assembled as aforesaid in overlapping relation. ,As thus arranged strip is exposed to display names or other data appearing thereon, and it will be observed that the typing, or printing may be carried to the extreme 7 Furthermore, it will be apparent, as indicated in Fig. 3, that the normally concealed lower portion of any of the vtongues 11' of the topmoststrip of the series. The sheet 15 which serves as a backingfor said stripmay alsohave a pocket for a removable label, as shown in the drawmg. 7 v Fig. 3 illustrates another form of backing or sheath which may be opaque or transparent, comprising a folded sheet providing a front flap and a rear'flap 26, the frontflap having slots 27 to receive the tongues 11 of the strips 10; and shows thethree bottom strips in theseries swung upwardly upon the hing topermitinspection of or the making of notations upon the lower, normally concealed portion 10 of the fourth strip from the bottom. Obviously the concealed portion of any selected strip may be thus quickly and 1 easily exposed without disturbing the arrangement of the-interlocked strips. the upturned strips are released-they will fall back into normal position without manual adjustment.

' ness unit strips 18 each consisting ofv a strip of paper folded along its central longitudinal:

I The modified form Oma illustrated-in Figs. f to 7 comprises a seriesof double thickline to provide a pair of similar leaves which are preferably united to each other along theirlower edges by a suitable adhesive.

Downwardly'extending tongues 19, similar in their essential characteristics to the tongues 11 of the strips 10, are stamped out or cut from the body of the. front leaf ofv each strip and are adapted to interlock with v series. The bases of the respective tongues '19 are preferably-spaced below and parallel that in the resulting corresponding slots 20 provided at the upper folded edge of the strip next below in the to said folded edge, so assemblage (Fig. 7) the upper margins of vthe interconnected, overlapping strips are exposed and the strips may be swung on the hinge-joint as above described.

I The strips 18 may be convenientlyformed without loss ofmaterial from a continuous paper sheet stamped out and perforated as Figs." and'5. Suitable lines may 'be printed on the sheet to indicate the fold shown in line21 and the margin line 22 so that the margins maybe typed before the individual strips are separatedupon the perforations 23. The rear face of the sheet is preferably 'gum'med as indicated at 24: (Fig. 5) along one or bothrsides of the perforations 23,

whereby the bottom margins of the detached folded strips may be quickly and easily-joined together bymoistening the adhesive area.

' "Whenthe doubled. strips 18 are assembled typing. may

, 'is herein provided. I When in interconnected relationv (Fig. 7 ),a selected number of the strips may be swung outwardly on the hinge-j oints formed by the interlocked:

tongues and grooves, to expose'the normally concealed lower face portlon of an'underlyin g strip 518111 the case of the .uni-plystrips or Figs l'to 3; for'the yielding paper tongues c 19 may readily be flexed transversely without causing permanentdeformation ofthej tongues. Furthermore, in 'thefolded strips, as in the flatst'rips of single thickness, in formativenotations may be typed or written upon the exposed margin of the strip, and the bejcarried to the lateral edges thereof. It

will benotedthat the'said exposed margin is located between a line ass ing through the bases of the tongues and a V line extending through the slots of the re spective strips, in both'species'of thisinvention: Each of thesestructural 'featurescon stitutes. an important result ofthepresent invention, and it is believed, a radical departure and desirable improvement in visible indexes of the. simple and inexpensivetype arrangement of thefinde'xes I y Although the 7 herein illustrated and described provides an I exposed margin along the'top of each'stri'p, I it is obvious that the'ass'embly maybe reversed end for end in use so that the exposed I vidual strips. employed'and structural dmnsm be varied in order to ad'apt the indexfto avariety' of uses without departing 'fromthe'essence' of this invention as defined in the appended margins appear at the bottomTof-the indi-'- V i Other arrangements may be claims. The assembled strip index maybe tray right display board or, otherjsupport or it ingasshown in Figs. land 3.] 1

1. A visible index "comprisingaseries,of

overlapping strips, each having' a tongue and filedor transportedin ani'envelope, folder or I j with or without a backing or other rein- I I forcement; 1t may be fastened upon an up-f 'may be mounted upon a relatively stiff back I claim: I no I a slotada'pt'ed to receive and retain the? tongue of the next adjacent ,strip," whereby.

V the stripsare detachably interconnected and; I

are" spaced by said tongues and slots "rel'a tively to one' another with their margins.

projecting one beyond another, thetongu'e and slot connection constituting a hingef oint upon 'wlnch one of two adjacent strips,

may be swung. outwardly. I

overlapping, strips, each-having apair of tongues and a pair .of corresponding, slots adaptedto receivethe tongues'of the next adj acen t'strip, the tongues of each pair hav- 12o 2. A'visible index comprisinga series of ing their bases in line and their respective ends projecting laterally in opposite direc .tions to interlock withsaid slots,theton gues i and slotsextending substantially parallelto, V the longitudinal "edges of -tl16" respective its posed substantially parallel to said'edge and in line with each other, the tongues of each pair having their respective ends projecting in opposite directions thereby to interlock V with the corresponding slots of the next adj acent strip, so that the strips are detachably interconnected and are spaced by said tongues and slots relatively to one another with their mar ins ro'ectin one be ond another.

v tongues and a the longitudinal edges 4. A visible index comprising a series of overlapping strips, each having a pair of pair of corresponding slots adapted tofreceive the tongues of the next adjacent strip, the tongues of each pair having their bases inline and their respective ends projecting laterally tions to interlock with said slots, the tongues and slots extending substantially parallel to of the respective strips, whereby the strips are detachably interconnected and are spaced by said tongues and slots relatively to one another with their margins projecting one beyond another, the tongue-and-slot connection constituting a hinge-joint upon which one of two adjacent strips may be swungoutwardly, and a backin opposite direcsaid slots being spaced in line substantially parallel to said tongued edge and remote from the opposite edge of the strip, whereby the margin of each strip lying between said tongued edge and said aligned slots is exposed to view in the assembled index.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 15th day of June, 1928.

GEORGE H. DANSON.

ing sheet having a pair of slots adapted to receive the tongues of the topmost strip in the series. I

5. A visible index comprising a series of substantially fiat strips arranged in over lapping relation, each strip having a pair of tongues disposed with their bases in the same line and parallel to one edge of the,

' strip and each-having a pair of slots substantially' parallel to said edge and in line with each other,the"tongues of each strip having their ends projecting in opposite directions to interlock with the corresponding slots of the next'adjacent strip, so that the strips are detachably interconnected and are spaced by said connections relatively to one another with a margin'of each strip located between the line of the tongues and the line ofthe slots in said strip exposed to View.

6. A visible index comprising a series of substantially plane, singleply strips arranged in overlapping relation, each strip having a pair oftongues projecting beyond one edge thereof, the ends of the tongues exo tending in opposite directions, and having a pair of. slots receiving and interlocking with the tongues of the next adjacent strip, 

